Toshirō Suga (born 22 August 1950) is a Japanese

aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art which is split into many different styles including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai, and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practic ...

instructor. He holds the rank of 7th dan

Aikikai The Aikikai is the original school of Aikido. It is centered on the Aikikai Foundation in Japan, and its figurehead is the Doshu (the family heir of the founder of Aikido). It is represented globally through the International Aikido Federation ...

. Born in Tokyo, his aikido teachers included

Morihei Ueshiba was a Japanese martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art, martial art of aikido. He is often referred to as "the founder" or , "Great Teacher". The son of a landowner from Tanabe, Wakayama, Tanabe, Ueshiba studied a number of ...

, the founder of the martial art, and

Morihiro Saito Morihiro Saito (斉藤守弘 ''Saitō Morihiro'', March 31, 1928–May 13, 2002) was a teacher of the Japanese martial art of aikido, with many students around the world. Saito's practice of aikido spanned 56 years, from the age of 18, when he ...

. For many years, he taught military forces in Canada. He takes part in international seminars. He had a brief career in cinema, thanks in part to his student Michael G. Wilson. His best known part was as Chang in the 1979

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

film '' Moonraker''. Suga leads courses throughout Europe and conducts dan examinations for the Free German Aikido Association. He currently lives in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Martial arts training

Toshirô Suga started

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

at age 15 in the Tokyo police force

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning, experiential learning, or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts. The term literally means "place of the Tao, Way" in Japanese language, Japanese. History The word ''d� ...

. At the age of 17 (1968), guided by his father's advice, he began Aikido in the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. For the following year and a half, he had daily teaching from Morihei Ueshiba during the 15h00 class of Sadateru Arikawa sensei. He also attended the daily classes of

Mitsugi Saotome (born in 1937) is a Japanese aikido teacher currently living in the United States. He was a direct disciple of the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. Biography At the age of 16, Mitsugi Saotome began his martial arts training in judo. At the ...

Akira Tohei Akira Tohei (August 20, 1929 – July 2, 1999) was a Japanese aikido teacher. He held the rank of 8th dan in the Aikikai. He began his aikido practice in 1946 under Koichi Tohei, then the chief instructor at Aikikai Honbu Dojo. From 1956 he pr ...

, Yasuo Kobayashi, Tohei Koichi, Kisshōmaru Ueshiba and Morihiro Saito. Toshirô Suga arrived in France during the summer 1971 and met

Nobuyoshi Tamura was a prominent aikidoka and a direct student of Morihei Ueshiba. The son of a kendo teacher, Tamura entered the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1953 as an uchi-deshi (live-in student) of aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba. He was one of Ueshiba's favorite ...

sensei. He works as Chargé d'Enseignement National with the FFAB, and is 7th dan (7. Dan Aikikai Tokyo). He teaches all year long in his dojo.

Teaching aikido in France

* From 1980 to 1985 his first class as a teacher was in

Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton language, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo language, Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. History ...

. * From 1985 to 1989 he went to Canada where he taught aïkido to the army. * From 1989 to 2002 He taught in Brest. * Since 2002: ASH Aïkido à Herblay and Aïkido club Boisséen.

Movies

; Acting : * '' Moonraker'',

Lewis Gilbert Lewis Gilbert (6 March 1920 – 23 February 2018) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as '' Reach for the Sky'' (1956), '' Sink the Bismarck! ...

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

: Chang * '' Tout dépend des filles...'', Pierre Fabre,

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

: Takashi * '' Le Bouffon'' (TV), Guy Jorré,

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

: the Japanese * '' Charlots connection'', Jean Couturier,

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

Aikido DVDs

* ''Ken, les racines de l'aïkido'', 2006 * ''Jo, le pilier de l'aïkido'' * ''Les Fondements de l'aïkido''

References

External links

Site perso

(French)

(French)

(French) *

(French)
bio on the FFAB site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suga, Toshiro Japanese aikidoka Japanese expatriates in France Martial artists from Tokyo Living people 1950 births 20th-century Japanese male actors